Letter to the Editor: Criticizing country does not mean being anti-Israel

I appreciated the support of the Daily Bruin for the decision of the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies to stand up for academic freedom by having Cornel West deliver Sunday night’s keynote at our conference on Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. But the editorial made an error in characterizing West as “unapologetically anti-Israel.”

To be sure, West has adamantly opposed the ongoing Israeli occupation and Israeli militarism during the 2014 Gaza conflict. But criticizing a country’s actions is not the same as being “anti” that country. Those who opposed the United States’ war with Iraq, for example, were not “anti-American.” Likewise, many proud Israelis and supporters of Israel’s right to exist have nonetheless also been critical of Israel’s occupation as inconsistent with the best of Jewish values. Even at a pro-divestment event at Princeton University last month, West stated that Jews “have a right to security after 2,000 years of vicious hatred,” and he insisted that “we must never allow one ounce … of anti-Jewish prejudice to be a part of this movement.”

Too often, these issues get reduced to simple all-or-nothing binaries. That is a false choice. We can simultaneously support the Palestinian right to dignity, security and self-determination and that of the Israelis. As West argues, it is a moral imperative to value all lives, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexuality or class. I do appreciate the Daily Bruin’s support of academic freedom and, in that spirit, hope that the UCLA community will evaluate West’s message for itself.

Todd Presner

Director, UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies

Professor, Germanic Languages